精校书屋

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第23部分（第2页）

〃Ciaou！〃　I　said。　I　was　deadly　sleepy。

27

I　woke　when　Rinaldi　came　in　but　he　did　not　talk　and　I　went　back　to　sleep　again。　In　the　morning　I　was　dressed　and　gone　before　it　was　light。　Rinaldi　did　not　wake　when　I　left。

I　had　not　seen　the　Bainsizza　before　and　it　was　strange　to　go　up　the　slope　where　the　Austrians　had　been；　beyond　the　place　on　the　river　where　I　had　been　wounded。　There　was　a　steep　new　road　and　many　trucks。　Beyond；　the　road　flattened　out　and　I　saw　woods　and　steep　hills　in　the　mist。　There　were　woods　that　had　been　taken　quickly　and　not　smashed。　Then　beyond　where　the　road　was　not　protected　by　the　hills　it　was　screened　by　matting　on　the　sides　and　over　the　top。　The　road　ended　in　a　wrecked　village。　The　lines　were　up　beyond。　There　was　much　artillery　around。　The　houses　were　badly　smashed　but　things　were　very　well　organized　and　there　were　signboards　everywhere。　We　found　Gino　and　he　got　us　some　coffee　and　later　I　went　with　him　and　met　various　people　and　saw　the　posts。　Gino　said　the　British　cars　were　working　further　down　the　Bainsizza　at　Ravne。　He　had　great　admiration　for　the　British。　There　was　still　a　certain　amount　of　shelling；　he　said；　but　not　many　wounded。　There　would　be　many　sick　now　the　rains　had　started。　The　Austrians　were　supposed　to　attack　but　he　did　not　believe　it。　We　were　supposed　to　attack　too；　but　they　had　not　brought　up　any　new　troops　so　he　thought　that　was　off　too。　Food　was　scarce　and　he　would　be　glad　to　get　a　full　meal　in　Gorizia。　What　kind　of　supper　had　I　had？　I　told　him　and　he　said　that　would　be　wonderful。　He　was　especially　impressed　by　the　dolce。　I　did　not　describe　it　in　detail；　only　said　it　was　a　dolce；　and　I　think　he　believed　it　was　something　more　elaborate　than　bread　pudding。

Did　I　know　where　he　was　going　to　go？　I　said　I　didnt　but　that　some　of　the　other　cars　were　at　Caporetto。　He　hoped　he　would　go　up　that　way。　It　was　a　nice　little　place　and　he　liked　the　high　mountain　hauling　up　beyond。　He　was　a　nice　boy　and　every　one　seemed　to　like　him。　He　said　where　it　really　had　been　hell　was　at　San　Gabriele　and　the　attack　beyond　Lom　that　had　gone　bad。　He　said　the　Austrians　had　a　great　amount　of　artillery　in　the　woods　along　Ternova　ridge　beyond　and　above　us；　and　shelled　the　roads　badly　at　night。　There　was　a　battery　of　naval　guns　that　had　gotten　on　his　nerves。　I　would　recognize　them　because　of　their　flat　trajectory。　You　heard　the　report　and　then　the　shriek　menced　almost　instantly。　They　usually　fired　two　guns　at　once；　one　right　after　the　other；　and　the　fragments　from　the　burst　were　enormous。　He　showed　me　one；　a　smoothly　jagged　piece　of　metal　over　a　foot　long。　It　looked　like　babbitting　metal。

〃I　dont　suppose　they　are　so　effective；〃　Gino　said。　〃But　they　scare　me。　They　all　sound　as　though　they　came　directly　for　you。　There　is　the　boom；　then　instantly　the　shriek　and　burst。　Whats　the　use　of　not　being　wounded　if　they　scare　you　to　death？〃

He　said　there　were　Croats　in　the　lines　opposite　us　now　and　some　Magyars。　Our　troops　were　still　in　the　attacking　positions。　There　was　no　wire　to　speak　of　and　no　place　to　fall　back　to　if　there　should　be　an　Austrian　attack。　There　were　fine　positions　for　defense　along　the　low　mountains　that　came　up　out　of　the　plateau　but　nothing　had　been　done　about　organizing　them　for　defense。　What　did　I　think　about　the　Bainsizza　anyway？

I　had　expected　it　to　be　flatter；　more　like　a　plateau。　I　had　not　realized　it　was　so　broken　up。

〃Alto　piano；〃　Gino　said；　〃but　no　piano。〃

We　went　back　to　the　cellar　of　the　house　where　he　lived。　I　said　I　thought　a　ridge　that　flattened　out　on　top　and　had　a　little　depth　would　be　easier　and　more　practical　to　hold　than　a　succession　of　small　mountains。　It　was　no　harder　to　attack　up　a　mountain　than　on　the　level；　I　argued。　〃That　depends　on　the　mountains；〃　he　said。　〃Look　at　San　Gabriele。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃but　where　they　had　trouble　was　at　the　top　where　it　was　flat。　They　got　up　to　the　top　easy　enough。〃

〃Not　so　easy；〃　he　said。

〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃but　that　was　a　special　case　because　it　was　a　fortress　rather　than　a　mountain；　anyway。　The　Austrians　had　been　fortifying　it　for　years。〃　I　meant　tactically　speaking　in　a　war　where　there　was　some　movement　a　succession　of　mountains　were　nothing　to　hold　as　a　line　because　it　was　too　easy　to　turn　them。　You　should　have　possible　mobility　and　a　mountain　is　not　very　mobile。　Also；　people　always　over…shoot　downhill。　If　the　flank　were　turned；　the　best　men　would　be　left　on　the　highest　mountains。　I　did　not　believe　in　a　war　in　mountains。　I　had　thought　about　it　a　lot；　I　said。　You　pinched　off　one　mountain　and　they　pinched　off　another　but　when　something　really　started　every　one　had　to　get　down　off　the　mountains。

What　were　you　going　to　do　if　you　had　a　mountain　frontier？　he　asked。

I　had　not　worked　that　out　yet；　I　said；　and　we　both　laughed。　〃But；〃　I　said；　〃in　the　old　days　the　Austrians　were　always　whipped　in　the　quadrilateral　around　Verona。　They　let　them　e　down　onto　the　plain　and　whipped　them　there。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Gino。　〃But　those　were　Frenchmen　and　you　can　work　out　military　problems　clearly　when　you　are　fighting　in　somebody　elses　country。〃

〃Yes；〃　I　agreed；　〃when　it　is　your　own　country　you　cannot　use　it　so　scientifically。〃

〃The　Russians　did；　to　trap　Napoleon。〃

〃Yes；　but　they　had　plenty　of　country。　If　you　tried　to　retreat　to　trap　Napoleon　in　Italy　you　would　find　yourself　in　Brindisi。〃

〃A　terrible　place；〃　said　Gino。　〃Have　you　ever　been　there？〃

〃Not　to　stay。〃

〃I　am　a　patriot；〃　Gino　said。　〃But　I　cannot　love　Brindisi　or　Taranto。〃

〃Do　you　love　the　Bainsizza？〃　I　asked。

〃The　soil　is　sacred；〃　he　said。　〃But　I　wish　it　grew　more　potatoes。　You　know　when　we　came　here　we　found　fields　of　potatoes　the　Austrians　had　planted。〃

〃Has　the　food　really　been　short？〃

〃I　myself　have　never　had　enough　to　eat　but　I　am　a　big　eater　and　I　have　not　starved。　The　mess　is　average。　The　regiments　in　the　line　get　pretty　good　food　but　those　in　support　dont　get　so　much。　Something　is　wrong　somewhere。　There　should　be　plenty　of　food。〃

〃The　dogfish　are　selling　it　somewhere　else。〃

〃Yes；　they　give　the　battalions　in　the　front　line　as　much　as　they　can　but　the　ones　in　back　are　very　short。　They　have　eaten　all　the　Austrians　potatoes　and　chestnuts　from　the　woods。　They　ought　to　feed　them　better。　We　are　big　eaters。　I　am　sure　there　is　plenty　of　food。　It　is　very　bad　for　the　soldiers　to　be　short　of　food。　Have　you　ever　noticed　the　difference　it　makes　in　the　way　you　think？〃

〃Yes；〃　I　said。　〃It　cant　win　a　war　but　it　can　lose　one。〃

〃We　wont　talk　about　losing。　There　is　enough　talk　about　losing。　What　has　been　done　this　summer　cannot　have　been　done　in　vain。〃

I　did　not　say　anything。　I　was　always　embarrassed　by　the　words　sacred；　glorious；　and　sacrifice　and　the　expression　in　vain。　We　had　heard　them；　sometimes　standing　in　the　rain　almost　out　of　earshot；　so　that　only　the　shouted　words　came　through；　and　had　read　them；　on　proclamations　that　were　slapped　up　by　billposters　over　other　proclamations；　now　for　a　long　time；　and　I　had　seen　nothing　sacred；　and　the　things　that　were　glorious　had　no　glory　and　the　sacrifices　were　like　the　stockyards　at　Chicago　if　nothing　was　done　with　the　meat　except　to　bury　it。　There　were　many　words　that　you　could　not　stand　to　hear　and　finally　only　the　names　of　places　had　dignity。　Certain　numbers　were　the　same　way　and　certain　dates　and　these　with　the　names　of　the　places　were　all　you　could　say　and　have　them　mean　anything。　Abstract　words　such　as　glory；　honor；　courage；　or　hallow　were　obscene　beside　the　concrete　names　of　villages；　the　numbers　of　roads；　the　names　of　rivers；　the　numbers　of　regiments　and　the　dates。　Gino　was　a　patriot；　so　he　said　things　that　separated　us　sometimes；　but　he　was　also　a　fine　boy　and　I　understood　his　being　a　patriot。　He　was　born　one。　He　left　with　Peduzzi　in　the　car　to　go　back　to　Gorizia。

It　stormed　all　that　day。　The　wind　drove　down　the　rain　and　everywhere　there　was　standing　water　and　mud。　The　plaster　of　the　broken　houses　was　gray　and　wet。　Late　in　the　afternoon　the　rain　stopped　and　from　out　number　two　post　I　saw　the　bare　wet　autumn　country　with　clouds　over　the　tops　of　the　hills　and　the　straw　screening　over　the　roads　wet　and　dripping。　The　sun　came　out　once　before　it　went　down　and　shone　on　the　bare　woods　beyond　the　ridge。　There　were　many　Austrian　guns　in　the　woods　on　that　ridge　but　only　a　few　fired。　I　watched　the　sudden　round　puffs　of　shrapnel　smoke　in　the　sky　above　a　broken　farmhouse　near　where　the　line　was；　soft　puffs　with　a　yellow　white　flash　in　the　centre。　You　saw　the　flash；　then　heard　the　crack；　then　saw　the　smoke　ball　distort　and　thin　in　the　wind。　There　were　many　iron　shrapnel　balls　in　the　rubble　of　the　houses　and　on　the　road　beside　the　broken　house　where　the　post　was；　but　they　did　not　shell　near　the　post　that　afternoon。　We　loaded　two　cars　and　drove　down　the　road　that　was　screened　with　wet　mats　and　the　last　of　the　sun　came　through　in　the　breaks　between　the　strips　of　mattings。　Before　we　were　out　on　the　clear　road　behind　the　hill　the　sun　was　down。　We　went　on　down　the　clear　road　and　as　it　turned　a　corner　into　the　open　and　went　into　the　square　arched　tunnel　of　matting　the　rain　started　again。

The　wind　rose　in　the　night　and　at　three　oclock　in　the　mornin

昆仑镜之宁不臣  我只想闯荡江湖  [HP]成为獾祖的人生  一默如雷  师兄竟是战略级房产经纪大师  侍灵记  奇怪的运动  邪妃盗情:粘人相公太妖娆  四合院：从杀猪佬开始  郭靖,别跑(  小宫女(辣)  月在回廊新月如钩_(全书已完结)  三年抱俩，冷硬军官别太宠  爱江山  斗罗：千仞雪的伐神之路  重生之成就非凡  北后  爱恨交织  言咒师  药膳空间[种田养子] 作者:辣椒拌饭